Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-22
4 SICKENING SCENE.
The Main Building Of Barnum's
Shows at Bridgeport, Conn,
Burned With Its Contents.
The Men8gerie and Trained Horses
Cremated-Loss 800, OOO-Thlrly
Elephants and a Lion Escspss
Che General Opinion Among showmen
that the Fire was of Incendiary Origin
Work of Rebuilding Begun

BRIDGEPORT, CONN, Nov. 21.-The
main building Of Bsrnum & Bailey's
"greatest show on earth' was entirely
destroyed by fire last night. An alarm
was sounded SPOUT 10 80 O'Clock quickly
followed by a general alarm and thous.
ands of people were drawn to the spot GIN
less than thirty minutesl the big building
which wss 600x2O0 feet and two stories in
height was entirely consumed. The first
intimation of the fire was given by the
roaring of lions and tigers which seemed
to realize the impending danger. Next the
elephants struggled in their chains, but
in an Incredible short time the flames
swept from one end of the huge structure
to the other. There were six watchmen
employed on the premises, but they were
helpless to check the flames. One of the
men was in the horse building when his
lantern exploded ignitiDg the hay and
straw. Five of the watchmen bave re-
ported, but one is missing. The upper
portion of the building was filed
with hay and all the paraphernalia Of the
great show. Before the first alarm
ceased sounding the whole building was
the building, being fearful of the crezed
animals. Three elephants were burned
up and thirty-six broke from their fasten-
ings an dashed through the sides of the
burning building. Their rOars and trum-
petings and sounds of distress were ter
rife. Six elephants and q large African
hlppopotamus rushed about the streets,
presenting sickening appearance. Their
Of doe .y,S S,in ~
flesh foot square fell of. Thirty ele
plants and 8 large lion made their es-
cape, and have started off across the
country toward Fairfield and Easton.
Great alarm has seized many residents of
the West End and they have taken refuge
within their houses and the windows
barred. William Newman, the elephant
trainer, is out of town, and the keepers
were not able in the excitement to herd
the frightened animals. In the horse
room were ell the ring animals, trained
stations, ponies, etc. These
were all burned. In the upper
rooms were the tents, poles, seats, har-
ness, etc, for the entire show and these
too were destroyed. In the cat room
were birds, monkeys, three rhinoceroses,
hyenas, tigers, lions and all the menag-
erie which fell prey to the flames. So
rapidly did the flames leap across the
main building that the fremen made no
attempt to save it, but turned their
streams upon the chariot buildings and
car sheds, which they succeeded in saw
ing, but the heat was so intense that this
was accomplished with the greatest diff
Guilty. The total loss is estimated at
100000 upon which there was
but 100000 insurance. Before
the building went down Barnum's agents
were busy making arrangements for OBJ
tanning new lot Of attractions to supply
the loss. Mr.. BrothWeD, Bsrnum's
Bridgeport agent, stated that the show
building would be rebuilt, but not in
Bridgeport. The great show would prob
ably 20 to Jersey City where better rail-
road facilities could be had.
Waterman George M Riers was making
his round at 10 o'clock, when he discov-
cred the fire in the corner of the building
where the horses are kept. He rushed
around the building to alarm the other
employees, when he was knocked senseless
by some one. He lay unconscious for
twenty minutes. When he revived half of
the building was in flames. He
awakened the sleepers in the building
and some one rushed to an alarm box
half mile away and pulled it, neglecting
to sound the alarm from the box located
at the entrance to the grounds. This
caused half an hour'ssdelay in the arrival
of the fire department. When it did
come 1t could do nothing beyond saving
The adjacent buildings. In the meantime
twenty-eight elephants were turned loose.
The white elephants were destroyed.
The other elephants rushed about, the
city and one fell on man,
BREAKING THREE OF HIS RIBS
and one leg. The old lion which was
often seen on top of the chariot in the
professions was hauled out of the flames
oy his keeper, William Buckley. AS soon
IS he was out of the building the crowd
attempted to kill him by beating his head
with clubs and ared shots into him from
revolvers. He was secured and
placed IN pen, but broke
out and scaling a ten-foot fence took
refuge In barn where he killed a SOW.
He was shot while making breakfast of
the fresh meat.
Eight men who were sweeping the
building barely escaped with their lives,
and one who was sick was dragged eff his
bed and out into the air.
At II O'Clock most of the elephants had
been corralled. The rbinoceros was got
out of the building, but was
burned and cut in getting out of the cage.
the crowd seemed to possess desire
TO kill all the animals. Only the cat ami,
mails were burned. The monkeys and
others were In other buildings. Many OF
the idols which are exhibited with the
show were also burned. The cries of
THE BURNING ANIMALS
were heart rending. Through the flames
could be seen tigers, leopards and other
cat animals dashing franticaly about
their cages and finally succumbing to the
flames. The elephants rushed msdly
about the streets lashing their burned
and torn sides with their trunks and ecat.
tering the crowds in al directions
1t is reported that several men were
picked up, thrown over fences, and more
or less injured. The birds were all in
| New York city. In the paint shop were
many of the handsome; chariots undergo.
ing repairs. These were wheeled out, bu
not without injury. At y O'Clock, wha
two hours before had been the home o.